BREAKING NEWS

Iran says in no mood to go extra mile on nuclear inspections

VIENNA - Iran will not heed a call to cooperate more fully with UN nuclear inspectors until a standoff over the future of its agreement with major powers is resolved, its envoy to the agency said on Wednesday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is policing the restrictions placed on Iran's activities under the deal, has said Tehran is implementing its commitments, but also called for "timely and proactive cooperation" on providing access for snap inspections.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano has said the comment is "not an expression of concern or complaints but rather an encouragement to Iran."
Diplomats who deal with the agency, however, say it follows an inspection in late April that went down to the wire in terms of how quickly the IAEA team gained access to one site.
Tehran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said that, while it was not benefiting from the deal, "no one should expect Iran to go to implement more voluntary measures."
European powers are scrambling to salvage the deal since US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out last month and said he would reimpose far-reaching US sanctions on Iran.
The three European powers that signed the deal -- France, Britain and Germany -- are looking to shield European companies from US sanctions while also keeping Iranian oil exports and the revenue from them flowing.